<Where did you hear about Leerans?> Ax asked me again.
"Look, can you just tell me what you know about them?"
Ax hesitated. He is still a little uncomfortable being open and honest with humans. The Andalites are not used to trusting other species.
<They are an aquatic race. Their planet is mostly water, like Earth. Only their land masses don't have much life. The most advanced lifeforms are in the oceans. The Leerans are a sentient race of amphibians.> He shrugged. <At least, that's what I learned in school. I've never met a Leeran, of course. They aren't allowed on our world.>
"Not allowed? Why not? Are they dangerous?"
Ax laughed. He gets this kind of superior, know-it-all attitude sometimes. <Of course not dangerous. More like embarrassing.>
"Why? Do they fart in public or something?"
<Leerans are supposed to be psychic. They can read minds. At least they can do it if they're within close range. We have technological and military secrets we don't want the Leerans to know. Plus, you know, thoughts you might not want strangers listening in on. Now, where did you hear about Leerans?>
p. 23-24
New alien species details just dropped. So, are we talking amphibians like frogs? Newts? Combo? Neither of those?
But also, mind reading species are a thing. Is it just like surface thoughts or can they go further into someone's memories? Is there a range limit on how far away someone had to be to have their mind read? How many minds can a single Leeran read at once?
I get that Ax doesn't fully get how a mind reader is dangerous. But he does mention some of their danger in that they can find out military and tech secrets that you don't want getting out. He is a kid, so part of this is just him not thinking through what they damage they could do if they get their hands (?) on the right/wrong information. He's just thinking in terms of they'll find things that are embarrassing.
How do Leerans do diplomacy with other species? I doubt Andalites are the only ones that have secrets that they don't want getting out.
"Erek. The Chee. He says there's some kind of secret underwater thing going on with the Yeerks. He says some Leerans are involved."
Ax looked puzzled. <Yeerks and Leerans? It doesn't make sense. The Yeerks could never invade the Leeran world like they're doing with Earth. The Leerans are psychic. They would instantly know if one of their people were a Controller.>
p. 24
This means that the Yeerks have more firepower than the kids think that they do, doesn't it. They are using force. They literally can't be subtle and sneak around while taking Leeran hosts.
"Yeah. You're right. On the other hand . . . if you could make Controllers out of these Leerans. Psychic Controllers."
Ax swiveled his stalk eye toward me. <They would be able to root out spies. Like the Chee. They would be able to sense traitors.>
"And they would be able to find five human kids and one Andalite." I said. "They would see right through an animal morph. They would mean the end of us."
p 24-25
Oh, new stakes. The kids have been able to fight back against the Yeerks because no one realizes that they are a bunch of human teenagers and a single Andalite. They know that Ax is a teen/kid by his species standards, but they don't know about the humans. And if the Chee are found out they lose a vital source of information.
So, clearly, they need to take out the Leeran-Controllers if this series is to go on to be 54 books long. Seems a little soon for the secret to be blown out of the water.
